IATA has welcomed Pratt & Whitney Canada’s changes to contract terms covering used engine parts, saying the move should open more competition in the turboprop aftermarket while leaving the broader issue of engine-makers’ restrictions unresolved. The changes affect only PT6 and PW100-series turboprop engines and follow the European Commission’s closure of an antitrust investigation centred on access for independent suppliers in Geneva.
The revised terms remove restrictions on maintenance shops in P&WC’s network that could have limited independent suppliers’ access to used engine material and related services. That should make it easier to source dismantled engines and certified reconditioned parts, which airlines argue can help ease shortages, reduce maintenance bottlenecks and lower costs.
The Commission had examined whether the previous clauses curtailed competition in used serviceable material by limiting access to used engine cores and certification services. IATA cast the outcome as a positive step for one segment of the market, but urged similar access and competition across the wider engine aftermarket, where airlines have long argued that maker-imposed limits raise prices and constrain repairs. The changes do not extend to Pratt & Whitney’s larger commercial jet engines.